Light Me Up
by A Concerned Individual
Summary: A storm. Reggie x Lars
1. The Storm

A/N: Well, it's official... I'm writing Rocket Power now.

This is a Reggie/Lars fic. Sowwi to all those Twister/Reggie, Sam/Reggie, Trent/Reggie, and whoever-the-heck-I-missed/Reggie fans out there! Having only one main girl per show sure does suck when it comes to pairings. 

If any of the information in the fic is inaccurate, PLEASE tell me, dangit! This is the re-vamped version, re-edited, re-done in some places, because I watched a bit more of the show and made me feel like a complete idiot. 

Also, please excuse my lack of skateboarding knowledge. I plan on learning sometime. Just… not now…

Everyone in this story is the same age as they are in the TV series, cuz for some reason I don't like it when they grow up. It's creepy. 

This is PG because Trent is a stupid-head. Gawd I hate him. 

~*~*~ -- Indicates a scene/time switch, in case you were wondering. 

"Try nailing THIS one, rocket boy!" Reggie shouted to her younger brother, Otto. She erupted from the halfpipe and spun around once, all the while staying on her skateboard. She landed on a safe angle, and rolled up to the opposite side to watch her brother.

"That's nothing, Reg!" Otto shouted back up at her. "I came up with a new move yesterday, and I betcha y_ou_ can't pull this one off."

"It's only 8:20 in the morning and already I can feel disaster approaching." Sam Dullard muttered, his eyes glued on his laptop. He had seen enough crashing and pain from his friends and himself (mostly himself, though) to last a lifetime.

"Chill, squid." Twister replied, keeping his camera focused on his best friend. "It's all you, Otto-man."

Otto rocketed (pun intended) down the halfpipe and up the other side as he pulled off a flurry of amazing aerial stunts before making contact with the ramp again and coming back down. Reggie watched his motions carefully, then got on her board again.

"Let's see you match that." Otto smirked as he stepped off the halfpipe and took a seat on some nearby steps. Reggie gulped as she looked down at the u-like curve of the ramp under her. She knew what she had to do, she just didn't know if she could do it.

"Come on, Reggie." Sammy urged.

Reggie took a deep breath and rolled down the curve to the bottom of the u-shaped ramp… And up the side again…

She executed all but one of the moves perfectly, but her coordination was off and she sailed off the side of the halfpipe. 

"Ooooh…" Sammy covered his eyes. Twister eagerly taped the stunt. Whatever nervousness Otto had about his sister matching his skill was eliminated as he watched Reggie plummet towards the ground…

Right on top of…

"AWK!"

Reggie had squeezed her eyes shut until she made contact with the ground. But the funny thing was, she hadn't actually hit solid concrete like she was expecting. Instead, when she opened her eyes, all she saw was a sea of purple. Her landing had not been as painful as she had expected, and immediately she knew she had landed on top of someone.

Someone with a purple shirt.

(Guess who?)

"I guess Lars didn't listen to the weatherman." Otto snickered. "Partly cloudy with a 100% chance of raining lame-os."

"What did you call me??" Reggie snapped. 

"Hey, only kiddin', rocket girl." Her brother grinned coolly. "Well, Lars, looks like Reggie's really _falling_ for you. Ha ha!"

Lars lay there, too stunned to react. Reggie's landing had knocked all the breath out of him; in more ways than one. He was glad he hadn't brought Pi, Animal or Sputz with him, or they may have noticed his discreet blushing, and what would they have done then?

"Get off me, dorkette." Lars finally snorted as meanly as he could. He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

"What's the matter, Lars? Ditched the dream team? Where's your gang?" Otto continued to taunt.

"You're asking for a womping, whimp." Lars warned as he rose to his feet. He felt his normal attitude surfacing again. 

__

Out of all people, I crash-landed on Lars. Reggie thought warily, then grinned. At least that way, Otto had forgotten all about teasing her for messing up the stunt. 

"Guys? Do you really wanna spend your whole Saturday morning arguing with my brother?" Twister asked, walking up to Otto. Sam remained out of the picture, still completely absorbed in his laptop. 

"You're right, Twist. Let's go." Otto cast one final glare at Lars before walking off with his best friend. Reggie was really embarrassed about the whole incident but tried her best to act normal. "I'm with you, rocket boy." She agreed.

Sam closed his laptop, grinning, as he ran to catch up with his friends. "Finally! I don't know about you guys, but I sure could use a bite to eat."

Reggie rolled her eyes. "You boys still haven't eaten breakfast? In that case, I'll go catch some waves while you guys eat."

"See you later then, Reg." Twister replied. Otto and Sam nodded. 

"See ya!" Reggie waved and ran back to her house to change while the rest of the gang headed off to the shack.

~*~*~

"Reggie made the most hilarious wipe-out!" Otto started to laugh. "She messed up her moves and flew off the ramp, and landed right on top of Lars!" 

Raymundo looked concerned. Otto smacked himself in the forehead. "Don't worry- she's ok. And I think Lars is, too, unfortunately."

This time his dad chuckled. "Sounds amusing- as long as everyone's all right, of course."

"Oh, I got it all on videotape!" Twister piped up, holding up his camera.

"I really don't think it was all that funny." Sam muttered.

"How could you tell? You were on that computer the whole time." Otto asked. 

Sam gave Otto a skeptical look, but said nothing else pertaining to the matter. He pushed his plate away and hopped out of his chair. "Well, I'm finished eating- I'll go find Reggie." 

"OK, squid." Twister waved. "Hey, Otto-man, I think I'm done too. Catch ya later!"

"You think you're done?" Otto asked, but Twister was already out of hearing range. Otto shrugged and eyed the remainder of what was left on Twister's plate. "A little extra breakfast can't hurt." He grinned. "Then I'll go ride some killer waves."

~*~*~

"I wonder why Lars is so rotten." Reggie wondered. She was lying in a supine position on her surfboard, looking up at the sky. The waves were small and weak that day; hardly surfing material.

"I should probably apologize for what happened earlier…" She thought out loud. "I might've hurt him. He didn't act hurt, but if he was he probably wouldn't have let it show."

Reggie recalled that thought immediately_. Lars has a huge ego, but even the simplest of injuries can leave him screaming like a crybaby. Lars chickens out and frets over the smallest things; he really is a strange kid…_

Even if he is disturbingly cute.

Reggie stared at the sky in disbelief. _Where_ _did THAT come from?! _She stood up on her surfboard and looked out upon the small waves. Anything to get her mind off of the thought of Twister's brother. 

__

I'm so glad I didn't think that out loud.

On several occasions, she had been accused by some of her other friends for liking Twister. But never _Lars_. Reggie wasn't really sure _what_ to think anymore. She was far too young, anyway! 

__

I saw the way Trent looked at Trish that one day... She thought coldly. _He HAD to have the best girl surfer on all the beach, and everyone knows Trish can really rip. Better than me, even. _

I can't believe I ever liked Trent... The only guy I ever saw through different eyes... The first and only one to win my emotions... and then he threw them away... 

It had been a month or two since Trent had left her. She was depressed, and for quite a long time. She had not been able to concentrate properly for days.

"Hey, Rocket Girl!"

"Hey, Reg!"

"AAAGH!"

Sam slipped off his board and tumbled into the water. Coughing and sputtering, he climbed back up on his surfboard. Out of all sports, surfing probably destroyed the most of his dignity.

__

WHY did Tito's old board have to have flowers on it? Sam thought miserably. 

"Oh, hey guys." Reggie waved nervously. She hadn't even seen them approaching. What if they had heard her talking to herself?

"Thinking again?" Twister asked.

"Hey, that's more than you can do, Twist." Otto sneered. 

"Oh, come on, Otto..." Sam sighed, then shot a worried glance up towards the sky. It was a little gloomy, but nothing to worry about... anytime too soon...

"I think Reggie's still down after Prince Charming found another-"

"Otto...?!" His sister glared at him. It had been proven long ago that Otto seemed to like getting in trouble. Her brother ignored her completely, surveying the ocean on the lookout for the "googly waves".

"Leave her alone, Otto..." Sam said without taking his eyes off the water. _Oh man, that looks a good two inches higher than yesterday, and it's not even high tide!_

"I'm lucky Lars wasn't in the house when I went home to change." Twister declared happily. "I'm sure he would've womped me good for what happened earlier. Even if that hadn't happened, I'm sure he would've womped me anyway."

Reggie glared down at the ocean below her_. There we are with Lars again,_ she thought, almost bitterly. 

Sam looked up. "Huh? What's wrong, Reggie?"

Reggie met his gaze. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Let's go ride some waves!"

"Some kiddie waves." Otto grumbled. "There's nothing TO ride, today. I think we should've gone blading instead…"

"Are you kidding me?" Twister whined. "We just got out here!"

"Come on, Otto." Reggie paddled out towards the waves. Although smaller, they were sufficient and still required some concentration.

"Surfing today: NOT one of your brighter ideas." Otto continued. "I could ride these blindfolded."

"That can be arranged." Reggie snapped back at him. Otto glared but said nothing to her.

"Hey Twister, I hope that water-proof container of your video camera still works." He yelled over the sounds of the ocean. Twister had just dropped it, and had to dive a short distance to retrieve it.

"It still works." Twister grimaced as he checked it carefully for leaking. "At least, I think so."

"That's never a good sign… Woah!" Sam yelped as he stumbled off his surfboard while riding the smaller waves.

Reggie watched the boys talk, and tried her hardest to concentrate on the waves and her position on her surfboard, but for some reason she still couldn't get Twister's brother off her mind. 

"So, Twist, how often does Lars surf?" She asked casually.

Twister rubbed the back of his head. "Er, I'm not sure… But..."

"Well, can he do THIS?!" Otto interrupted, and practically catapulted off the top of one of the larger waves. His landing was off, though, and he hit the water, his surfboard going out from under him.

"Oooo… Nice wipe-out." Twister grinned widely. "That makes two slip-ups today, Reggie and Otto! New record!" 

Reggie rolled her eyes. Otto stuck his head out of the water and glared at Twister. "Why don't you try that, then, _Maurice_?"

"The name's Twister." He stared. "You're beginning to sound like my brother!" He quivered. "Ack!"

Sam frowned. "Cool it, Otto." 

The four of them continued to "surf" for about half an hour. It was still early morning, 9:27 AM, but the clouds began to darken and the ocean started to get rougher. Gradually the waves got larger and larger. No one appeared to notice… Except for Sam, of course.

"Guys… I think we should quit now." He stated nervously. "It looks like a storm's coming."

Reggie looked up at the sky. "Sammy's right." She sighed. "We can do some more wave-riding later. You know how dad is when we're outside during storms."

Otto seemed happier at the change of weather, though. "Are you kiddin' me, Reg?" He yelled excitedly. "These are the first big waves all day! And- wow, lookit that one!"

"This always happens, Otto." Reggie glared at him. "Disaster comes, we leave, you don't, we try and stop you, you still don't, you nearly die out there, and we come with reinforcements and save your butt."

"She's right, you know." Twister shrugged. "Sorry, Otto-man." 

Reggie sighed as she looked towards Twister. "Yet, why is it that you're usually with him, Twister…"

"Not always!" Twister objected. "Come on, let's just go."

"Awww, ickle _Maurice_ can't stand the thought of rain and lightning!" 

Twister looked up. There, riding the large waves almost effortlessly, was Lars, smirking down at him.

"It's TWISTER, LARS!" He shouted back up to his brother. 

"Oh, so it's the tornadoes he's scared of?" Lars asked, then laughed.

"Go home, Lars." Otto snapped. 

"Mom'll roast you alive if she finds out you're out here!" Twister yelled.

"And yet we're still here." Reggie muttered. 

"I'm getting out!" Sam whimpered as he heard a nearby clash of lightning. He grabbed his board, paddled as fast as he could and scampered up the beach. 

Lars snickered. "Don't you know the REAL waves are out now, munchkin?"

Otto felt his temper coming up. "I know it. But it's too risky." 

"Well said." Twister shivered.

"For once, I agree with your judgement, Otto." Reggie sighed. "We're leaving."

"COME ON, YOU GUYS!" Sam yelled, but it was barely audible over the thunder.

Reluctantly, Otto and Reggie dragged Twister out of the water. He and Lars never got along, but he still didn't want his brother out there in the storm.

~*~*~

"There you guys are!" Raymundo panted. "I've been looking all over for you! Do you know what could've happened to you if you stayed out there in the ocean?! Water conducts electricity, you know!"

"I know, I know." Otto grumbled.

"Dad…" Reggie began. "Uh… well…"

"Yes?"

"Twister's brother is still out there! At least, I think he is. I don't think he's getting out anytime soon-"

"He'll chicken out." Otto interrupted nonchalantly. "He's a wuss."

"You can't be sure of that!" Reggie glared at her brother. "I'm sure Twister's told his parents already, though."

Raymundo groaned. "This is serious. That kid could… well… you know." He grabbed his coat and opened the door. "I want you two to stay here and don't move. It's far too dangerous out there." He walked outside and closed the door behind him. 

Otto reclined on the couch and tried to turn on the TV. "Oh, darn. The power's out." He sat up and pouted. "This is just great." 

He got no response from Reggie. Otto turned around and nearly flipped. "Reggie, what're you doing?? Raymundo told us to stay here!"

"Don't tell anyone." Was all she said as she headed out the door.

~*~*~

It was raining hard, and the thunder was getting worse. It was hard to believe it was still early morning. It looked like late afternoon, what with all the storm clouds. Reggie shivered as she ran down the sidewalk, across the street and over to the beach. In the distance, she thought she could see Raymundo talking to the lifeguard. 

"I hope this isn't another hurricane…" Reggie murmured to herself as she searched the waves for any sign of Lars. "And even then, couldn't it be one like El Nada?"

A sudden flash of color brought her out of her thoughts. Against the seemingly endless body of water she thought she could see just a hint of red. Lars's surfboard?!

"Maybe… Lars already went home…" It was a thought worth considering.

"Oh, Regina!"

Reggie spun around. It was Mrs. Rodriguez, Lars and Twister's mom. 

"Do you see Lars? Where is he? Maurice told us he was out here!"

__

Well, that confirms it. Reggie thought. "Don't worry- I'm sure he'll turn up…" She wasn't sure of that at all, actually. Reggie didn't think to mention the surfboard.

Mrs. Rodriguez rushed off again, still skimming the water. Reggie was freezing; it was bitterly cold and she was still wearing her swimming clothes.

She looked out towards the ocean, then down to her feet, as the remnants of the waves splashed against her toes. Flashbacks of the morning's skateboarding incident were fresh in her mind; her nervousness about mimicking Otto's move. Her embarrassment when she messed up. And the emotion she couldn't identify… when she landed on Lars.

Reggie wallowed out into the water. Up to her knees, then her waist, and then finally, the water was shoulder-level. It was even colder in the water; and the rain was still beating upon her face. _I'm gonna have to kill Lars for this later… If he doesn't die out here first…_

Frantically she navigated through the ocean, the waters she visited almost every day. The wind howled, and the only thing louder than the wind was the thunder. 

Despite her body's constant pleas to stop, to rest, to get somewhere warm, she continued on until the beach and the rest of Ocean Shores was out of sight (on a clear day she still would've been able to see it, but it's stormy, there's rain and it's more foggy than usual, etc)

Reggie couldn't see anything above water. Just sea and sky. She was terrified now; not only was she out in a storm, in the water, but she could no longer see Ocean Shores. Silently she cursed herself for her stupidity through a mouthful of water.

"I need a miracle to get me out of this one!" She yelled to no one in particular. 

Something bumped her in the back. Reggie yelped and turned around. It was Lars's surfboard, and it was the only thing still floating besides herself.

Hurriedly she climbed onto it, desperate for some way to keep above sea level. 

That was when she saw him.

He wasn't too far underwater; just enough for her to spot him against blues and the greens of the ocean. Hurriedly she paddled the surfboard over to him, but another fierce wave pushed him away. 

Reggie was torn; she couldn't abandon the surfboard, as it might be her only chance. But if she didn't, she'd never catch up to Lars, which is what she was doing out in the middle of nowhere anyway. But what if it was already too late to save him? She'd be putting herself in danger, and- it was just too much to think about.

"I've got to take a chance." Reggie hoped that she hadn't just doomed herself by pushing away from the board. Instantly the waves recaptured her and threw her along helplessly like a doll. Regardless, she tried to resist, but another wave pushed her far underwater. 

Finally, she spotted him again- this time in a close range. Immediately she lunged forward, wrapped an arm around his middle, and used the other to paddle towards the surface.

After what seemed like forever she broke free from the grasp of the murky depths. Lars's extra weight was slowing her down.

Reggie tried her best to keep his face above the water, but in the process she ended up swallowing more and more. It was enough keeping track of herself. 

"The beach!" 

It was in sight then- a most welcoming vision, indeed. As she and the unconscious Lars floated closer to the sandy beaches, she was surprised. There was no one standing on the beaches, no one on the lookout for her. Maybe no one cared. Or maybe…

"Maybe the waves just carried us a long way…" Reggie decided. "Oh, man… I hope Lars is ok… I mean, after I just risked my life…"

She watched his face carefully. "Come on, Lars… You'd better be ok." 

Reggie stumbled onto the beach, dragging the boy behind her. She barely had any energy left, but she wasn't going to rest until she was certain that he was going to live.

"LARS! Lars, wake up. Please do SOMETHING!"

Yet he laid still. Motionless. It was scary. He looked almost… peaceful lying there. He didn't look like the mean bully Lars she remembered. 

She was setting him up in a more comfortable position when she stopped, alarmed. "He's even colder than I am…" Reggie murmured. His body was nearly frozen stiff. 

"Whoever knew this would be how I'd spend my Saturday morning…"

Reggie paused, trying to recall what her teacher had said in that seemingly useless medical unit at school. Now she was glad she signed up for it. She pressed two fingers against his neck, searching for a pulse. To her relief, she found one- but it was very weak. 

"Oh!" Reggie suddenly yelped (I love that word) in surprise. "Oh… oh darn… He isn't breathing…"

Her heart sank. "Oh man… oh man oh man oh man… What do I do, what do I do… Think, Reggie, think…" Her eyes widened as she remembered. In her panic, she had forgotten what to do in a time like then. 

"Eeeeeeehhhhh…." She groaned as she opened his mouth. She searched her brain for some kind of motivation. "Think, Reggie. Do it for Twister. Do it for Twi- ah, heck…" 

Somehow that didn't work. 

Reggie squeezed her eyes shut as she took a deep breath and lowered her head.

~*~*~

"LOOK! There she is!"

Blurry forms appeared in the distance, and they became clearer as they neared. Reggie's eyes snapped open as she noticed nearly everyone she knew in Ocean Shores running towards her near the water, shouting and pointing at the half-drowned kids ahead. The Simpletons, Sherry, Trish, Trent, and even a worried flock of shoobies that trailed along near the back of the mob. She turned her head. Lars lay beside her, still unconscious but was breathing then, at least. Reggie turned her attention back to the advancing people. Amongst the crowd she saw Raymundo; and she knew he had noticed her too. 

"Look, it's Reggie! She's alive!"

"Isn't that Lars?!"

"Reg, you're crazy! And you're ok!"

"Thank heavens!"

Everyone there buzzed with comments as they neared her location. Raymundo pushed his way through the crowd, ran at record speed through the wet beaches and embraced his daughter as best as he could.

"REGGIE! I'm so glad you're alive! YOU'RE GROUNDED!"

Otto, Twister, and Sam waited until Raymundo was done, then… erupted.

"REG! Why did you do that!?" Otto demanded. He nearly glared at his sister. "You could've died out there, you idiot!" 

"You're both ok!" Twister shouted, relieved, then motioned towards his brother. His expression shifted immediately. "Ummm… Lars is gonna be ok, right?"

Reggie groaned. Bad mental images swarmed through her head. "He is now, don't worry, Twister." She sighed.

"We better get you home, pronto!" Raymundo realized. "Come on, Otto."

Sam trailed behind them. "What happened, Reg?! I wanna hear all about it!"

The purple-haired girl moaned. "I hope you won't mind if I leave out a few parts…"

~*~*~

"Ha, Lars!" Twister shouted gleefully as he ran around his brother's room. "You're grounded for life! Still think Reggie's a dork? She saved your life, bro! You're pathetic!" 

"Shut up, Maurice!" Lars yelled. "Go away!"

Lars hated himself now. What foolish impulse went over him to make him go out during a storm and nearly kill himself? He knew he was very lucky to be alive- He remembered it all so well.

A giant wave had separated him from his board. He searched for it for a while, and was about to head back… but the storm advanced too quickly. He hadn't even been able to see the beach anymore. He had been able to tread water for a while, but the harsh waves that he had once ridden were persistent, and before long he lost consciousness. 

He had never felt so alone before in his life. He knew his other bully buddies accepted him, but what of it? They liked him because he was tough, skilled in sports, mean and always ready to womp anyone; especially his younger brother. Lars was a year older than Reggie, and two years older than Twister, Sam and Otto… But he knew he envied them. His "friends" didn't even seem concerned about his near-death experience. They hadn't come over to see if he was all right, or even called him. Lars didn't know how he missed it before- they just didn't care.

And meanwhile his brother's friend had risked her life to save him, and nearly doomed herself in the process. She'd probably be grounded, too.

Unknown to Reggie, Lars had woken up earlier. After they had been washed upon the beach, he regained consciousness after a few minutes of CPR (ehehe… Yuck). He didn't know what to say though, so he remained silent and pretended to still be unaware. He had "woken up" in his room with no one around- but Twister still came in after a while to tell him everything. 

It wasn't as if Lars was completely fine, either. He had a terrible chill that wouldn't go away and he constantly felt ill. But at that point, he wasn't paying too much attention to his physical condition. His own mind was troubling him.

"Earth to Lars! Come in, Lars! Did all that salt water mess with your brain?" Twister asked, waving a hand in front of his brother's face.

"I said, leave me alone!" Lars barked in annoyance.

"No you didn't! You said, 'shut up, Maurice! Go awa-'"

"MAURICE!" Came his mother's voice. "Don't bother your brother. He's had a rough day."

It had been a few hours since the incident, but everyone was still talking about it. Lars had wanted to be left alone; so he had gotten his wish. Almost.

"Aw, ok." Twister left the room and closed the door. Then he opened it just a crack.

"Lars? Don't ever do that again, ok?" he asked feverently.

Lars made a surprised expression and pointed out the window. "Ah, Maurice, LOOK! GIANT MONKEYS!" He exclaimed.

Twister's eyes widened. "GIANT MONKEYS?!" He near-screamed. "AAAAAAAAAH!" He slammed the door and ran running and shouting at the top of his lungs down the hall.

Lars chuckled to himself for the first time in a while. Finally, he had some quiet. And he would need it if he wanted to consult his thoughts.

"Lars? There's someone here to see you."

"Fine." He grumbled. "Send 'em in." Maybe it was one of his "friends" finally coming to see how he was doing. Or maybe it was some news reporter so he could tell them the story of how stupid he was that morning. Or maybe it was-

The door opened.

"…R-Rocket?" Lars blabbled. "Why… what…"

Reggie closed the door behind her. "My name's Regina, and you know it." She said, coolly. "But call me Reggie."

She pulled up a chair and sat near Lars's bed. This time, Lars could feel himself blushing immensely. Fortunately for him, Reggie didn't notice- but she did wonder why he always wore the same clothes. Same purple shirt with the red star. It reminded her of earlier that day, at the Madtown skate park. 

"W-why'd you come?" He asked, quietly.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Reggie admitted, staring down at her knees. "Lars, I know you've always been a bully, but I came because I really believed there was a good person inside of you." 

"I was always so rude to you." He mumbled. "Why'd you save my life?"

Reggie was quiet for a while, then she laughed to herself. "I guess I've always been like that. I've had to save Otto's tail one too many times and it's gotten to my head. Lars… you need friends to depend on. You don't need Pi, Animal, or Sputz. Don't you see? I don't think they were ever truly your friends." 

Lars didn't even want to deny it. He knew it was true. 

"Now I see why Maurice became your friend." Lars finally smiled. 

"It's Twister." Reggie said automatically. They both laughed briefly.

~*~*~

"Gee, I bet Reg's really letting Lars have it." Twister said to himself, happily. He had, of course, run all the way to his mom who told him for the 900 billionth time that there were no giant monkeys anywhere near Ocean Shores and now was walking back to Lars's room. "Man, my brother is finally getting the kind of treatment he deserves! At last I'm getting revenge for those 600 something wompings I've gotten from my brother in the past year! It feels great!" 

Twister walked slowly over to Lars's door and started to listen.

"Today started off horrible." He heard Lars say. "But now, I have to say otherwise. It's all thanks to you, Reggie."

"Well, whoever would've guessed in one morning you would be able to change your ways?" Reggie asked. "I know you may think me and my friends are a little young… but I'm sure I can get them to accept you…"

"I don't know about that." Lars sighed. "I think they'll always hate me. And I don't blame 'em." 

"No, they won't." She assured him. "Just give them a little time." She stood up. "I'd better go now. Dad doesn't want me over here too long."

"He probably loathes me after you nearly drowned trying to save me." Lars sighed.

Reggie laughed. "If it's anyone he's mad at, it's me. It's my own fault that he's upset. But I won't deny that he thinks you're a disaster."

"I knew it." He turned away and faced the wall. "Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it."

Reggie put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll get better. You'll see."

Lars didn't know how he could ever tell her everything he was feeling then. He was never really good with words. 

"Reggie…" Without another word he faced her again and hugged her, all the while sobbing silently. Reggie was stunned by his reaction, but hugged back just the same. It was automatic for her.

Twister watched through a crack in Lars's door. His mouth hung and he tried to scream, but no sound came out. Finally… "AGGH!" He ran off, his mind full of bad images. "Wait till Otto hears about this!"

A/N: OK, so it's not done. Yet. Not completely. Now, I have a second chapter planned, because I just wanted to make it longer. For some odd... twisted... unknown reason. 

Also:

TRENT FANS, STAY AWAY FROM CHAPTER TWO!!!!

It's a mystery why I watch it anyway! Oh well! Oh yeah, and their lingo annoys me. And the way these weird words flash across the screen sometimes annoys me too. And the name of the show annoys me. And Otto's repeated display of stupidity annoys me. And the fact that the kids in the show always seem to have some supernatural power annoys me. And the way most of the characters are drawn annoys me. And all the characters annoy me. And the fact that they don't put enough Eddie or Lars in the show annoys me also. And the characters' egos annoy me too. Ok… so a lot of things about this show annoy me. But just think if we could change all that! X3

Sorry about the over-frequent use of Reggie and Lars's names. There's only so many ways you can say it. Let's see… "Reggie" "she" "the girl" and that's about it. 

I think I'd better stick to insanity. 


	2. Confessions

A/N: The beginning of the second chapter. Ooooh joy. In case you did not see the A/N of the last chapter, this chapter is NOT for Trent fans. To put shortly, he's going to be a very egocentric jerk. No offense to anyone who thinks otherwise, but I hate Trent. I think he's ugly (his hair scares me) and unsmart (I refrained from saying "stupid".) I just... do not like him. And why any adolescents should be dealing with love affairs is beyond me. With that said, I'd like to actually get on with it now! Thanks to all who reviewed! I went bezerk the first few days because I couldn't see my reviews for some evil reason, and I was so desperate to see them that I stupidly forgot that I had Review Alert activated to my email account. I didn't even notice until I logged into my account to email the FF.Net staff about the problem, and was so absorbed in reading my reviews that I forgot to complain to the staff anyway. Blah. Eheheh... whoops. Babbling again! Sorry! 

"Get lost, Trent."

Trish had heard all about Reggie's former infatuation with this guy, and now she saw where he was getting at. So, he thought he was only worthy of the most well-known girl in Ocean Shores? Ever since a few hours ago, he realized he really wanted Reggie. He should never have told her he didn't want her. Now he did, and Trish didn't really appeal to him anymore. But still, he tried.

"Please, Trish! Forget about Reggie." 

"All you've done is talk about her! You don't want me, you freak! It's not all about looks, you know." 

The door slammed in Trent's face. He winced as he thought about what she had said.

"I _do_ want Reggie...?"

His face twisted into a grin.

"That girl's the biggest hero in town!"

Trent nodded to himself. Yep, Reg was definitely worthy of the best-looking, most talented rugby player you'd ever find on Ocean Shores. His ego had grown a lot over the months, especially as more and more people noticed his rugby talent.

"I can't wait to see her face when she sees me standing on the doorstep!"

Trent was absorbed in his own little world, even as he turned the corner and headed towards the Rockets' house. He knew the way by heart.

Putting on his girl-winning smile he knocked on the door.

"Oh Reggie?" he called.

The door opened. Otto Rocket stood half-asleep, wondering why _he_ would show up again. The whole thing with Reggie had sucked all the energy out of him, and the stress was making him exhausted. 

"What do you want, Trent?" He asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Is Regina home?" He asked. Otto shook his head.

"She's over at Twister's." He murmured. 

"Rodriguez?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"OK, then. Later, dude."

Otto rolled his eyes as he closed the door.

"I don't like that guy." He groaned. "He's got bad news written all over him. Why did Reg have to get all smitten with him?" Otto shook his head in disgust as he headed over to the TV. 

He had barely watched more than six minutes when there was another knock on the door. 

"Oh brother..."

Otto was about to get up off the couch and over to the door, but he had left it unlocked and Twister invited himself in.

"O-man!" He panted, then collapsed on the couch next to his best friend. Otto stared briefly, then his eyes widened.

"What happened?! What did Trent do?!" 

Twister looked confused. "Trent? Huh?" He shook his head. "It's not about him. It's about what's happened to my brother!"

"I thought you said he was ok...?"

"Oh, he's ok psychically..."

"Don't you mean physically...?" Otto asked.

"Agh! ...He's ok _physically_, but what's going on inside of him I don't think I'll ever understand!"

~*~*~

"Oh, hi... Trent..." Reggie greeted, nervously, looking down at the floor. He was still the same athletic pretty boy... but this time he looked regretful.

She wasn't expecting to see him. As soon as she had opened the door to leave the Rodriguez house, she saw him standing there, one foot on the doormat, equally startled. Reggie wasn't sure of her emotions at the time... They were mixed and unorganized. 

"I'm so sorry about what happened, Reg..." He apologized thoughtfully. "It was so selfish of me. How could I make it up to you?"

Is he really sorry? Should I forgive him? Reggie smiled. "Hey, no problem, Trent." She looked him in the eye. He really did look apologetic. "I forgive you."

"I shouldn't have run out on you like that. I don't know how I thought I could feel the same for Trish."

Reggie was starting to get nervous. More than normal. "Did you do the same to her as you did to me? Just... leave?"

Trent gulped. This would be hard to explain. "No, we... both thought it would be... for the best." He grinned down at her. "And may I say you look great! What you did for... that other guy... this morning... sounded pretty incredible. I knew you could do it." 

The widely-known Rocket Girl felt her old happiness returning. The forgotten bliss of rapid emotion. Trent really was sorry. And anyway, she had Otto Rocket for a brother... Reggie was all about forgiving. Right? 

They stood there for some time, not really knowing what to say. It was Lars who broke the silence. He was heading towards them, finally feeling his strength returning. He thought now maybe had the _slightest_ chance of being with Reggie...

Although he constantly scolded himself for thinking it. And at the time he was completely unaware of Trent's presence.

Trent looked up. Immediately his happiness and triumphant feelings were replaced by jealousy. "Oh, it's... that other guy..."

Lars's reaction to Trent was equally bitter. He felt himself bite his lip in anger as he saw how that wierd boy stared at Reggie... Almost hungrily. 

__

What's she doing around that sick freak?! Lars thought angrily. 

"Hey, Lars." Reggie waved. But when she saw the look on his face, she could've crumbled. She knew that look. It was the same one she had on for hours after Trent had abandoned her for Trish. It brought back horrible memories that Reggie wished she could forget. 

"Hey." Lars said simply. It was all he felt like saying at the moment.

Lars's presence reminded her that she needed to leave to head back to the shore shack. Raymundo and Tito had an overload of customers and needed some help. It was part of Reggie's punishment for disobeying during the storm. During Trent's arrival, she had completely lost track of time. 

"I've got to go now." She said quietly. "See you both later!"

"Where ya headed?" Trent asked. Reggie smiled, though it was a fake one. The guilt was still nagging at her. She felt rotten.

"The Shore Shack."

"I can walk you there!"

Reggie faked another smile. "Great!" She lowered her voice. "Just great..."

~*~*~

The purple-haired preteen looked up at the clock. She had been washing dishes for nearly two hours, and she had been required only an hour and a half.

"Later, dishes." She proclaimed triumphantly, only to recall that morning's events. It was still too much to comprehend, all the things that had already transpired. 

As she walked out of the kitchen, she was surprised to see Otto and Twister, sitting behind the counter and grinning mischievously at her. Reggie felt herself sweat.

"Hey guys!...What's going on?" 

"Oh, nothing..." Otto smirked. "Only Twister here _happened_ to look through Lars's window and _happened _to see a _certain_ brother of his and a _certain_ sister of mine..." He snickered. 

"Oh, stop it, Otto." She thwapped him lightly on the arm and went around the counter to sit next to her brother. "It was a friendly kind of thing. You know. It's been a hectic day. Besides... Trent came crawling back."

Otto frowned. "I know." He replied. "I don't trust him, Rocket Girl."

"I don't either, but it doesn't bother me!" Twister grinned. "Lars hasn't spoken all day. I walked in his room and loudly insulted him and he didn't even womp me! It's pathetic." He laughed quietly.

"Twister!" Reggie snapped at him, louder than any of them expected. "Can't you just leave your brother alone?"

Twister stared. "WHAT!? And miss out on this? It's revenge, Reggie! Getting revenge on Lars without getting a good womping is a once-in-a-lifetime thing! You don't have to live with him, you know. If he was _your_ brother, you'd understand..."

Raymundo heard the three talking and came out from the kitchen with lunch. "Now hold on, guys. There's no need to fight." He dropped the three burgers on the table and looked around. "Where's Sam?"

"He's probably still at home. Paranoid about another hurracaine, or something." Otto answered. "That's Sam for ya. Anyway, guys... Shouldn't we be out surfing? I mean, we have to practice for the big-"

"That's been cancelled, guys." Raymundo shook his head. "Rescheduled. Postponed till next Tuesday. Whatever you want to call it." 

Otto banged his head on the table. "Aw man..."

Reggie shrugged. "More time to practice, right?"

Otto pointed out towards the beaches, littered with people.

"Do you REALLY want to practice in shoobieville?" He asked. "Maybe all those other pro surfers can stand all those lame-o tourists, but I can't!"

"We could always try the secret spot." Reggie suggested.

"Yeah, O-man!" Twister lit up. "It's out of shoobie territory, completely!"

"Out of their radar!" Reggie continued.

"I know, I know." Otto collapsed on the counter. "But everything's still wet from the storm. We can't ride our bikes there, and it'll take forever to walk."

"There might still be some thunder, too." Raymundo added. "No more surfing today, guys. Sorry."

The three groaned in agony. It just wasn't the day for surfing, it seemed.

~*~*~

Reggie walked alone along the beach. She wanted to be left in peace, maybe sit and stare at the water. It was still a cloudy, unpleasant day, and the waves and winds were still a bit fierce, but she didn't care. She needed some time alone. Without the presence of Otto, Trent, Lars, Raymundo, Tito, Twister, Sam... or even the dirty dishes. It was clear from everything she had seen; the look on Lars's face when he saw her with Trent, the unspoken hatred between the two boys, and even the way Lars acted with her around. Lars liked her. Lars, one of her worst enemies for most of her life, the brother of one of her best friends, the one she had disliked until just that morning. And Trent? Did he really care for her? _Of course he does,_ One side of her said. _He said he was sorry!_

But the other side disagreed. _He doesn't really like me. He abandoned me once before. He headed after Trish. Isn't it funny he comes crawling back the morning I become one of the most respected and well-known girls in Ocean Shores?_

Reggie turned her head casually, then stared. She was slightly bummed to see the boy she thought she had gone head-over-heels on relaxing in the sand, deeply absorbed in what he was watching. Reggie turned her head. Despite the earlier storm, there was a girl on the waves surfing- and she was really good at it too. As she continued to watch, she felt herself gasp in amazement. This girl was even more amazing than Trish! Reg felt herself steam inside as she confirmed it; Trent's gaze was indeed focused on her alone. He hadn't even noticed Reggie approach. "Hi, Trent."

Trent almost completely ignored her. "Hi." He greeted, still watching. Reggie doubted he knew it was her standing there. Shortly, Trent turned around, finally realizing who it was speaking. "R-Reggie! Hey there."

"Watching some girls, I see." Reggie observed distastefully. "Smooth move, Trent."

Trent looked up at her. "I'm sorry! I wasn't watching her! I was watching... the wave. Mighty big wave, huh?"

Reggie's temper flared up. Boy, was he stubborn. "You're not watching the waves, Trent! You're watching some blonde in a bikini!" She was on the verge of tears. "Admit it, Trent. You'll always be like this."

She glared at him one final time, then ran away.

"Oh, FINE!" Trent yelled back at her. "JUST GO! Why would I want such a stupid girl, anyway?!" 

His words cut deeply into her being. She tried to ignore the heart-throbbing pain, but it stayed, and it hurt. Badly.

__

I'll never forgive him again. He wouldn't even admit his mistake!

Reggie ran through the streets of Ocean Shores, heading towards the house. Otto and Twister sure were surprised when she burst through the doors, about to sob.

"Reggie!" Otto turned around instantly. "What happened, sis?"

"Never mind... Otto..." She ran upstairs and slammed the door.

"What's this all about?" Twister asked confusedly. Otto shook his head.

"I don't know, but I'll bet ya that rat has something to do with it."

His friend glanced around, then looked even more puzzled. "You have rats? I don't see any...."

"Twister...!" Otto smacked himself in the forehead. For the second time that day. "Ugh... I mean that kid in Reggie's class, Trent. You know? Tall, show-offy, girl-crazy?"

"Oooooh... That rat." Twister looked up in Reggie's general direction. "Is she gonna be ok?"

"She'll be fine. She was last time." Otto said, then moaned. "But she was bummed for days."

"Man, sounds awful!"

Otto nodded. "Looks like both of us have older siblings in the gutter."

Twister's eyes widened. "How'd they get there?!"

Otto glared up at the ceiling. "Oh, never mind! I give up!"

"Seriously! How do you get in the gutter? I didn't even know Lars knew how to get in there!"

~*~*~ 

Lars, too, had locked himself in his room. He was too confused and dispirited to do anything. On several occasions, his mother had asked him to open the door and tell her what was wrong, but he refused to do anything of the sort. He hadn't eaten all day, either, but the hunger nagging at him was only a distant pain, and he had no intention to do anything about it. 

The phone rang, but he ignored it. It was right near his bed, but he didn't feel like talking to anyone for a while.

The answering machine came on. It was a familiar voice on the other end, and it sounded stressed.

"...Lars? Reggie's not doing so good. She just got into a little scramble with that Trent guy and now she's locked herself in her room and won't come out. Wherever you are, could you try and talk to her? The phone's no good, she hasn't got one. I know you like my sister, don't deny it, LARS... and she's done so much for you, right? Why don't you try doing something for someone else? I know it'd be a new one for you, though."

It was Otto Rocket, or in Lars's words, "Rocket dork". Lars couldn't believe he out of all people would call him for this out of all things, but he sounded desperate. Lars knew it'd do him good to try and cheer up Reggie, but how do you cheer someone else up if you're equally glum?

It was hard to believe that just the day before he loathed Rocket's gang. Most of it, anyway. 

"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Lars mumbled to himself as he got ready. "...I can't believe _I'm_ doing this..." 

~*~*~

Reggie stared at the wall opposite of the door. It was already far past noon, nearing 5:00 at least, and it was starting to get dark outside. 

A distant rumbling sounded outside. She turned around and stared out the window. The lightning was crashing outside, and the rain had returned. It was beating relentlessly on her bedroom window. Reggie had had enough of storms for one day, but this time she was just glad she wasn't out in them.

Lars, on the other hand...

"Why is it that whenever I go outside, it starts getting all stormy?" Lars demanded to no one in particular. "Talk about rotten luck."

He walked gloomily outside, glad that at least he lived semi-close to the Rockets. 

__

Why am I doing this again? He asked himself, then cursed the stupidity of the question.

__

I'm doing it... because... it's right.

Boy, that sounded odd to him. 

__

Since when do I do the right_ thing!?!?_

Shrugging, he decided to stop thinking about it. It was only starting to confuse him.

It took him a while, for even though it was raining, he walked as if he had all the time in the world, almost not caring that he was completely drenched. 

He looked up at the door before him. He hesitated for a few minutes, unsure of himself. He hadn't even knocked yet. It didn't matter, because Twister opened the door anyway.

"Ha! I knew you'd show." Otto declared, almost victoriously. 

Twister stared up at his brother. "Lars?! You're completely wet!" He thought it was rather funny, actually. "Mom's gonna-"

"I know what she's gonna do, dweeb!" Lars growled. "Get outta here, twisted one."

Obediently Twister stepped out of the way. He didn't need _another_ womping. 

Otto chuckled quietly to himself. "Lars, you look like a drowned rat! ...Which isn't surprising, after this morning, anyway-"

"We haven't exactly signed a peace treaty yet, Rocket dork." Lars snapped at the younger boy. Otto recoiled in mock terror.

"Oh no, Twist! It's your horrible man-eating brother! RUN!" Laughing hysterically, Otto ran for dear life. 

Lars grabbed a pillow that was lying on the couch and chased after his retreating prey. Twister sighed and watched them run in and out throughout the rooms of the Rocket's house. "Bad move, Otto-man."

At last, Lars had Otto cornered, and started pounding the kid with the pillow. Otto squirmed and tried to get away, but it was no use.

"HEY! Lars- Umph! - Aren't you here to - Yow! - talk to Reggie? ...ACK!"

"Oh, that's right, I must've forgotted! But I haven't had a good excuse to womp Twister in days, and this is just as good." Lars continued the assault. For Otto's sake, but mostly his long-awaited revenge, Twister finally stepped in and landed a good kick on his older brother while he was occupied in his womp-fest. In a very not-good spot.

Lars dropped to the floor, and the two friends made a dash for Otto's room. 

"THAT'S HARASSMENT!" Lars managed to shout before Twister and Otto had left the scene. They ignored him and slammed the door, and immediately started to block it with heavy objects. 

After a few minutes of pain, Lars rose to his feet, groaning, and looked around for Reggie's room. He figured it to be somewhere near Otto's, for he never really had a tour around the house before. 

He tried a few doors, still looking for the room in question. Finally... he found it.

"I told you to go away, Otto." Reggie said automatically, her face buried in her pillow.

"B-but... O-otto... I-I..." Lars blathered, then got a hold of himself. "I-I'm not Otto."

Reggie lifted her head off the pillow slightly, but didn't turn around. "...Trent?"

He stared down at the floor glumly. "Lars." 

"...Oh... OH!" She turned around immediately and wiped the tears off her face, but the area was still red from crying. "Hey."

Lars started to get real nervous again. He had no clue what to say. _Oh, hey Reggie... I'm equally depressed as you are but I came over to talk to you and make you feel better than I do since you just got dumped by some heartless jerk._

"I... came over... to talk..." He finally blurted. "But... I can understand if you don't want to."

Reggie sat up on the end of her bed and smiled as best as she could. "No, it's ok."

Lars looked around Reggie's room, then gulped. There was no chair to pull up and talk from, like she had done for him. His company noticed his hesitation and indicated next to herself. "Here's fine."

"Thanks." Lars walked over and sat down. It was quiet for a few seconds. Definitely not what he had in mind.

"Trent was a jerk." Reggie finally said. "I don't think I could ever forgive him." 

"I don't think he'll come crawling back again." Lars responded. He felt awkward talking about that kind of thing, because he definitely wasn't an expert in anything like that. "...He doesn't deserve you, anyhow." _I wish I did._

There was more silence.

"What a crazy day." Reggie laughed. It was a hollow laugh, though, probably forced. "For us, especially." _For some reason, I'm glad he's here. And up until today he was our greatest enemy!_

Lars had never been the emotional kind of person, which was why his mood at the moment was going to be a hard one for him to figure out. His lack of sensitivity is probably what resulted in him becoming the most well-known bully to almost every kid he knew, and a nightmare to his younger brother. Reggie was confused about him, and she could judge people fairly well... with the exception of Trent. She knew Lars was capable of being good, but she just couldn't figure him out. She didn't think she ever would, either. 

"Oh... Lars? You're... drenched." Reggie stared. It had taken her that long to notice, sadly. "Hold on, I'll go get a towel."

Lars nodded, but said nothing. He sat and looked around the room until Reggie returned and thrust the towel in his face while he had his back turned. 

"...Mumph!" He exclaimed, his voice muffled beyond understanding, then hastily grabbed it off his face while Reggie laughed quietly.

"Whoops!"

"Yeah, yeah." Lars muttered, then started to grin. He had no more dignity to lose, anyway. 

"Say... Are Otto and Twister still home?"

"Oh... them?" He asked, slyly. "They're... around."

"...'Around?'"

"Well, to be honest, they've just locked themselves in your brother's room and barricaded the entrance."

"Ah. So that's what all that noise was."

"Oh Reggie? Got someone over?"

Raymundo opened the door.

"Great job on those dishes, rocket girl." Raymundo smiled towards his daughter, then frowned in concern when he saw the redness around her eyes. "Is something wrong?" He turned and saw who else was in her room. "...Uhh..."

"I know his being here is a bit unexpected, but he's not half as bad as Otto and I thought." Reggie said. "Oh, and I'm fine, dad. Nothing's wrong." 

Raymundo nodded, but he didn't quite believe her. "Right." He turned to Lars. "Did you walk here in the rain?"

Lars shrugged. "Yeah."

"Dad, PLEASE don't go into one of your safety lectures." Reggie shook her head quickly. 

"Now is not the time." Lars agreed.

"Ok, something's wrong." Raymundo concluded. "Hold on, give me a few guesses. I'll get it."

Lars and Reggie glanced at each other, then shrugged, baffled. 

"Problem at school?"

"Dad... it's the weekend."

"Right! Yes, that's right. How about... a sudden terror of heights?"

Reggie sighed. "Do you have to know about EVERYTHING?"

"Oh, I got it." Raymundo grinned. "Boy problems, right?"

"You could say that."

"Aw man, I thought those days were over, for now." Raymundo groaned. "First you got involved with that... what's his name? Trent..."

"Dad... It's kind of personal..."

"Huh? Oh, yes, I know!"

Reggie eyed him suspiciously. "How come you're not over at the shack? It doesn't close this early."

"Well, it does today, kiddo. No one comes in the rain, you know." Her father glanced out of the room. "By the way, is your brother ok? I couldn't even open his door." 

"You'll have to ask Lars about that."

Lars looked around, then started to sweat. "...What?!" He demanded. "He said I looked like a drowned rat, so I chased him around with a pillow and he ran off with my brother and locked themselves in his room." 

"Ho boy..."

Raymundo finally left the scene, and closed the door behind him. Reggie sighed in relief.

"I'm glad he's gone. Nosy, right?"

"I'll say," Lars agreed. "I mean, no offense." He added quickly.

"It's alright. I feel a lot better now. I can forget all about Trent. I think I'll wait till I get older before I ever... get involved... again. Most guys just can't be trusted, if you know what I mean." 

Lars was silent. He couldn't think of any kind of response to that. Finally, he spoke. Very quietly, with his eyes to the floor and his head lowered. "What Trent did was heartless. I'd never..."_ Criminy, what am I saying?!?! I've bullied every kid in Ocean Shores! Stupid, stupid Lars!_ "...Oh man... What have I been doing all these years?" He mumbled, as inaudibly as possible. _Stupid, stupid!_

"...Lars?" Reggie asked him, trying to catch a glimpse of his face to see his expression. He looked terribly down. "What are you trying to say?" _I thought _he_ came to cheer _me_ up! And now _I'm_ happy, and _he_ looks depressed! ...Then again... When have I ever seen Lars happy? Truly happy?_

"You gonna be all right?" He asked her. 

"I'm fine." Reggie responded. "...Are you?"

"...I'm not sure anymore."

She didn't know what to do. The situation had never been expected. 

"What's bothering you?"

"It's not so much what I dislike about the world... it's what I hate about everything I've done to it." 

"Forget about it, Lars. Maybe if you just apologize-"

Lars shot straight up. "APOLOGIZE? Are you kidding? That's against everything I've ever-" He calmed down again. "Sorry."

"Well, that's really all I have to suggest..." Reggie sighed. Then she lit up. "Hey, who wants to stay all cooped up in my room anyway? Wanna come skateboarding down at the Madtown halfpipe? It'll- ...Oh man... it's still raining, isn't it?"

Lars glanced out the window. "No, it's stopped raining. But it's still wet outside."

"Surfing?"

Lars paled. "I think I'll wait a while before I do that again."

"...Well, we can still... just..." Reggie sighed. "walk around randomly, I guess."

"Just for the heck of it?"

"...Something like that."

"Well... ok. I should probably change out of these first." He indicated towards his wet clothes. 

"I'm cool with that!"

They left Reggie's room. As they passed by Otto's, they heard some more loud noises coming from deep within.

"Uhh... rocket boy? Lars and I are going out."

Otto gagged from somewhere inside his room. "Really, Reg? That's disgusting."

Reggie grimaced. "NO! I didn't mean... like that. Ugh." 

They heard Twister laugh uncontrollably, and then what sounded like Otto thwapping him. 

"As in, we're leaving the house to go walking until the roads dry up and I was wondering if you'd like to come along?"

"No thanks! Lars and I have some anger issues to work out! He hit me with a pillow!"

Reggie glared at the door. "A pillow? Oh, please..."

"Has Lars ever hit YOU with a pillow? It hurts, sis!"

"Oh, whatever. We're leaving. So you can come out of that room now, whatever you're doing."

"Which would be waiting for you to leave."

"You're not afraid of being _womped_, are you, dor- I mean... Otto?" Lars asked, with a quick worried glance towards Reggie when he was about to say "dork".

"Wow, you used my real name! I'm impressed! I didn't think you remembered it!"

Lars was irritated, but he decided to let it slide. But whoever said he had to be nice ALL the time? A womping once in a while couldn't hurt, right?

Of course not!

Not for him, anyway.

"Raymundo? Lars and I are..." She paused, remembering the incident with Otto. "going to wait for the roads to dry up! We're leaving for a while!"

"Gotcha!" Came the response from upstairs. 

The streets and sidewalk were decently dry when they got outside, but still a little too dangerous to go biking or blading or skateboarding. 

"We'll drop by your place first, I guess." Reggie shrugged. Lars nodded. 

"I don't think I can stand this much longer." He shivered. "I think I've suffered enough for one day."

"You and me both. Come on."

~*~*~

"LARS RODRIGUEZ! I didn't know you left the house! You should've told me! AND YOU'RE STILL GROUNDED!" Mrs. Rodriguez yelled, then noticed Reggie standing beside him, who waved sheepishly.

"Oh, hello Reggie." She waved, then turned back to her son. "By the way, do you know where Twister went off to?"

Reggie cleared her throat. "...Both of them were over at our house." She answered quickly. "Twister's still over there."

"I see. And- Lars! You're..."

"Yes, I know, I'm completely wet." He grumbled. "I'll go change."

"But first, I want you to say goodbye to Reggie for today! You've got some serious chores to do! You can't avoid punishment forever!" Mrs. Rodriguez nodded haughtily and walked back inside. Lars sighed.

"Well, 'later. Again." He frowned distastefully over in the direction of the doorway. "I've got some time to kill."

"...Thanks for coming over." Reggie said, then kicked the ground unknowingly. "I feel much better, Lars."

"Well, I suppose it's the least I could do..." _Man, I'm a complete sap. Whatever happened to me in the past few hours?_

"Otto told you, right?"

Reggie looked up. "Huh?"

"He told you that... I... Well... That I liked... you..."

The girl's eyes widened. Yes, Otto had practically given her a 2-page speech on how much he suspected some form of Lars having some kind of crush on Reggie, but... She had not believed it. She believed he was merely grateful.

"Well, now that you mention it, he did."  


"I KNEW IT! That little whelp." Lars muttered. "...Uhh... sorry? But anyway..."

"So, you're denying it?"

"Yes! ...Actually... Um... well... not really... Err... I just wanted to know if you knew that... URGH!" He banged his head on the wall of his house. _Aw man, I'm stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid..._

"I think there's definitely hope." Reggie said simply. 

__

WHATTA...? "R-really? I mean... Uhhh... Ok, I'm just saying this right now, I don't know how to react to that." Lars hoped he wasn't blushing as much as he thought he was.

"Just promise me something."

"Anything!"

"Lars... You'd never... end up like Trent, would you?"

Lars freaked. "Hell no! I've never been into girls, and I had no intention to start anytime soon, but I guess... my mind got sidetracked for a minute there... Reggie, I like you for who you are, and that's something Trent never did."

Reggie smiled happily as those blissful feelings returned, but this time they were pure joy, for she knew then _she was_ truly happy. And of course, Lars was too.

When she took a casual look out the window, Mrs. Rodriguez really wasn't expecting to see her eldest son and Reggie Rocket, who she believed was a responsible and well-behaved girl, in a tight embrace on the doorstep. (and this time it wasn't just a friendly one) It really wasn't what she had in mind when she said "say goodbye." And good grief, Lars was STILL in his wet clothes.

She had no real idea what was going on, or how on Earth it ever came to be, but it was just too cute, and she decided to leave them alone.

For a while.

A/N: I would say YEY IT'S FINALLY DONE but the fact is I don't know! The reviews I'm getting are positive but for some reason I don't like the way it ended. The two chapters seemed kinda similar. It bothers me. Oh well, I'll go back and edit it some more later, I guess.


End file.
